Michael Puente is the author of The Seven Foundational Principles of Law Enforcement, available on Amazon.
What should city and government leaders understand about policing before making decisions that affect the men and women responsible for protecting their communities?
It's a question I believe deserves more attention.
After more than 23 years in law enforcement, I've had the opportunity to experience this profession from several perspectives. I've served in patrol, SWAT, K-9, tactical operations, and law enforcement training. I've worked alongside officers making split-second decisions, supervisors responsible for managing critical incidents, and leaders tasked with developing the next generation of law enforcement professionals.
Today, I serve as the Program Administrator for the Training, Research, and Academy Certification (T.R.A.C.) Unit at the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST). My responsibilities involve statewide law enforcement training, academy certification, professional standards, and initiatives designed to strengthen the education and development of Arizona's law enforcement professionals.
These experiences have reinforced something I believe is essential:
Effective leadership of law enforcement begins with understanding the foundation upon which officers are trained to think, act, and make decisions.
The Foundation Comes Before the Skills
In 2020, I began developing what would become the Seven Foundational Principles of Law Enforcement.
The idea came from a simple question:
Before we teach officers how to perform the skills and tactics of policing, what foundation are we building underneath those skills?
Law enforcement training involves an enormous amount of information. Officers must understand the law, constitutional limitations, investigative procedures, communication, defensive tactics, firearms, emergency medical care, and countless other responsibilities.
But technical proficiency alone does not guarantee sound judgment, emotional control, ethical conduct, or professionalism.
An officer can be highly skilled and still make a poor decision.
A supervisor can understand policy and still struggle to lead people.
An agency can invest significant resources in training and still experience problems rooted in organizational culture.
That is why I believe we must focus not only on what officers are trained to do, but also on the foundation from which they make decisions.
Since 2021, the Seven Foundational Principles have served as foundational curriculum for Arizona's basic law enforcement recruits. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to teach the framework to officers, instructors, supervisors, and law enforcement leaders throughout Arizona, as well as present it nationally at the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) Conference.
What began as a training framework eventually became my book, The Seven Foundational Principles of Law Enforcement: A Practical Framework for Decision-Making, Performance, and Leadership.
But the message extends far beyond the classroom.
What Government Leaders May Not See
When a police officer responds to a call, the public often sees only the final action.
They may see an arrest, a use-of-force incident, a difficult conversation, or a decision that becomes the subject of public scrutiny.
What they may not see are the countless factors influencing that decision.
What information did the officer have at that moment?
What legal authority existed?
What was happening around the officer?
How much time did the officer have to evaluate the situation?
What threats, environmental conditions, emotional stressors, or competing responsibilities were present?
These questions matter.
And they matter just as much to the city manager, mayor, councilmember, or government executive responsible for evaluating agency performance and making decisions that affect public safety.
Understanding the outcome of an incident is important. Understanding the decision-making process that produced that outcome is equally important.
This does not mean officers should be exempt from accountability. Quite the opposite.
It means accountability should be informed, objective, consistent, and grounded in an understanding of the profession.
Leadership Decisions Influence Police Performance
One of the lessons I've learned throughout my career is that organizational culture does not develop by accident.
It is influenced by expectations, training, supervision, resources, accountability, and leadership.
Those influences extend beyond the police chief's office.
City managers, elected officials, and other government leaders make decisions that can directly affect the environment in which law enforcement professionals operate.
Training budgets, staffing levels, agency priorities, community expectations, leadership selection, and organizational support all influence an agency's ability to perform its mission.
When government leaders understand the realities of policing, they are better equipped to ask meaningful questions, evaluate performance, and support responsible improvements.
They can move beyond simply reacting to incidents and begin examining the systems, decisions, and leadership practices that shape performance before an incident ever occurs.
That is where meaningful professional development begins.
The Seven Foundational Principles Are Also Leadership Principles
Although I developed the framework specifically for law enforcement, I believe its lessons have significant value for those responsible for leading police organizations.
Consider just a few examples.
Mindset: What perspective does a leader bring to a difficult situation? Are decisions being driven by facts, assumptions, pressure, or personal beliefs?
Position: Does the leader understand the authority, responsibility, and limitations associated with their role? Are they considering both the legal and practical consequences of their decisions?
Emotional Control: Can the leader remain composed when facing public criticism, political pressure, organizational conflict, or a critical incident?
Communication: Is the leader communicating clearly with agency personnel, elected officials, community members, and other stakeholders?
Duty to Intervene: Does the organizational culture encourage people to speak up when something is wrong, even when doing so is uncomfortable?
Duty to Render Aid and Duty to Report: Are leaders promoting responsibility, appropriate action, transparency, and accountability?
Professionalism: Are leaders modeling the standards they expect others to follow?
These principles are not intended to replace technical training, agency policy, or legal requirements.
They provide a framework for examining how decisions are made and how professional expectations are carried into practice.
And that framework has value at every level of an organization.
Bridging the Gap Between Government Leadership and Law Enforcement
I believe there is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement professionals and the government leaders responsible for overseeing and supporting their agencies.
That relationship should be built upon mutual understanding, clearly defined responsibilities, professional respect, and accountability.
Government leaders do not need to become police officers to lead effectively.
But they should understand the profession well enough to recognize the complexity of the decisions officers face, the importance of quality training, and the influence leadership has on agency culture and performance.
Likewise, law enforcement leaders must understand that they operate within a broader system of public service and are accountable to the communities and institutions they serve.
These responsibilities are not competing interests.
They are shared responsibilities that require communication, trust, and a commitment to professional excellence.
Taking the Framework Beyond Arizona
Through my company, Strong & Courageous, my goal is to expand the Seven Foundational Principles beyond Arizona.
My hope is that one day these principles can help establish a nationally recognized foundation for law enforcement education and professional development, beginning with university criminal justice programs and police academies and continuing throughout an officer's career.
But I also believe there is an important place for this conversation among city and government leaders.
Because improving policing is not solely the responsibility of police officers.
It requires thoughtful leadership from everyone whose decisions influence public safety.
As I prepare to join The Clear Voice Podcast, I look forward to discussing these ideas, sharing experiences from my career, and exploring how government leaders can better understand and support the law enforcement profession while maintaining the accountability their communities deserve.
My hope is that the conversation encourages leaders to ask a different question:
Are we simply responding to the challenges facing law enforcement, or are we helping build the foundation that prepares our people and organizations to meet those challenges?
That is a conversation worth having.
Connect and Learn More
Book: The Seven Foundational Principles of Law Enforcement
12News Arizona Interview with Troy Hayden
Organization: Strong & Courageous
The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent an official position or endorsement of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.
